“Golovkin is undoubtedly strong. That is why I will have to be fighting him smart and use angles, without only going straight ahead at him. Many are afraid of his power, but I fought against real strong punchers like Julio Cesar Chavez and Kelly Pavlik. The experience I have gives me confidence that I can fight Golovkin as an equal,” Rubio said.

Rubio’s trainer Robert Garcia praised Golovkin as the best middleweight fighter. “Rubio could have said no. He could have defended his world title a couple of times in Mexico and remained a world champion, but we’re here to challenge ourselves,” Garcia said.

The Golovkin-Rubio fight is scheduled to October 18 in Los Angeles at StubHub Center. The fight will unify middleweight titles.